The Family of Rachel Eather 1807-1875
and
John Norris 1803-1864

Rachel Eather, youngest daughter of the pioneers, Thomas EATHER and Elizabeth nee, LEE
On the 17th December, two months after she turned sixteen, she was married to John Norris, the eldest son of Richard NORRIS 1776-1843 and Mary Norris, nee WILLIAMS 1778-1863 who had a farm at Cornwallis. Witnesses at the wedding were John's brother Richard, Rachels brother Thomas Eather and Sarah McAlpin, who became her sister-in-law the following year.

John Norris was a Catholic and the wedding was conducted at Cornwallis by the rites of the Roman Catholic faith. The wedding was registered at St.Mary's in the register of Roman Catholic Marriages.


John NORRIS met a violent death at Sally's Bottoms, Kurrajong, on the 26th. September 1864 when he was thrown from a loaded cart and crushed beneath the wheel. His widow later went to Spring Creek, near Orange, where Rachel died on 3 August 1875.

One of the NORRIS children Rebecca (who married John COOK) spent nearly 40 years after their marriage at Coonamble where they kept the "Morning Star" hotel.

1. Maria NORRIS b: 1824, married (1) Patrick DUNN 1823-1850, on 30 January 1843. The children of this marriage were:-
Elizabeth Leticia Dunn 1843 ? 1845
Rachel Anne Dunn 1845
(2) Peter PAGE 1816-1878 on the 4 September 1859. The children of this marriage were :-
Maria Amelia Page 1851 - 1924
Peter John Page 1856 - 1922
Thomas Page 1862
Catherine Emma Page 1865 - 1869


2. Harriet NORRIS b:15th. December 1824 d:10 October 1841. buried 11 October 1841 Windsor Catholic Cemetery.

3. Michael John NORRIS b:1832 in Cornwallis, NSW and died 1909, Wellington New South Wales married (i) Jane COLBRAN 1838-1875 at St.Matthews Catholic Church Windsor in 1854 The children of this marriage were:-
John Joseph Norris 1854
Thomas Norris 1856 - 1857
Mary Jane Norris 1858 - 1948
James M Norris 1860 - 1943
Dominick J Norris 1862
Agnes R Norris 1864 - 1865
Francis S Norris 1866
Herbert Norris 1868
Walter Norris 1872
Alice Lavinia Norris 1874 - 1970
Garrett Norris 1875 - 1877
Abraham Norris 1876 - 1971
Unnamed Norris 1877 - 1877
(ii) Barbara Ellen PASCOE, nee GRUBB 1842-1895 married in 1878 in Orange NSW one child Kathleen Ada b:1881

4. Elizabeth NORRIS b:27 October 1834 in Hobart, Tasmania. d: 25 August 1894 at North Richmond. Married in 2 November 1854 Cornelius MCMAHON b:1824-1894 at St.Matthews Catholic Church, Windsor. The children were:-
Thomas McMahon 1855 - 1890 John McMahon 1857 ? 1865
Mary Elizabeth McMahon 1859 - 1919
Rachael Louise McMahon 1862 - 1950
Michael Stephen McMahon 1864 - 1914
Peter Matthew McMahon 1866 - 1922
James Joseph McMahon 1868 - 1940
Catherine Jane McMahon 1871
Abraham Michael McMahon 1873 - 1954
Harriet Cecelia McMahon 1876 - 1932
George Stephen Cornelius McMahon 1878 - 1949

5. Thomas NORRIS b: 17 July 1836 Derwent, Tasmania d: 26 July 1903 married Catherine London 1843-1911 on 30 October 1861 in Richmond New South Wales. The children of this marriage were:-
Percival Norris 1865 - 1926
Henrietta Norris 1868 - 1899
Frederick Joseph Norris 1869 - 1940
Nell Norris 1869 - 1869
Marie Josephine Norris 1873 - 1959
Rachel L Norris 1875 - 1957
Thomas H Norris 1878 - 1903
Ada Alice Norris 1880
John Norris 1882

6. Rachel NORRIS b:3 November 1839 Tasmania d:1 July 1915 in Dubbo, married John Michael COLBRAN 1836-1914 on the 27 June 1855 the children of this marriage were:-
Michael John Colbran 1857 - 1934
Robert Colbran 1859 - 1929
Mary Jane Colbran 1861 - 1911
James Colbran 1863 - 1864
Rebecca Colbran 1866 - 1866
Stephen Colbran 1867 - 1870
Emily Colbran 1868 - 1937
Sarah A Colbran 1871
Caroline Colbran 1873
Angelina Colbran 1876 - 1947
Thomas Henry Colbran 1878 - 1948
Clara L Colbran 1881 - 1883
Frederick William Colbran 1884 - 1962

7. Ann NORRIS b:19 March 1842, Kurrajong, d:25 August 1931. Married Henry F. GREEN 1839-1916 on 27 May 1862 at Richmond. The children of this marriage were:-
John H Green 1863
William T Green 1865 - 1944
Robert Michael Green 1867 - 1949
Mary Ann Green 1869
Margaret R Green 1871 - 1934
Eva Jane Green 1873
Ernest Sydney Green 1875
James Stephen Green 1877 - 1927
Minnie Emma Green 1880 - 1968
Esther Cecelia Green 1883 - 1971

8. Rebecca NORRIS b: 30 June 1844, Kurrajong and died in Oatley,26 January 1936. Married John COOK 1843-1915 on 31 May 1865 at Richmond. Yhe children of this marriage were :_
Michael William Cook 1866 - 1928
Agnes Rachel Cook 1868
Ada Cook 1869 - 1949
Amy Cook 1871 - 1953
Amos John Cook 1872
Emily A (Bette) Cook 1874
Minnie Ann Cook 1877 - 1957
Esther Cecilia Cook 1879 - 1882
Richard Henry Cook 1881 - 1924
Louisa Jane Cook 1883 - 1953

9. Stephen NORRIS b:1846 Kurrajong and d: 18 September 1888 in Dubbo N.S.W. married Ellen MCGUINESS 1855-1962 in Dubbo in 1875. The children of this marriage were:-
Stephen John Norris 1876 - 1959
Caroline Amelia Norris 1879
Ethel M Norris 1882
James Norris 1885
Stephen Norris 1887

10. Susannah Mary NORRIS b:7 March 1852 Kurrajong and died 9 September 1940 married (1) Isaac Cook 1846-1895 on the 13 September 1870 in Orange N.S.W.The children of this marriage were:-
Frederick Cook 1871 - 1947
Libby (Matilda)Ann Cook 1873
Isaac John Cook 1874 - 1953
Esther Cook 1876 - 1877
Albert Stephen Cook 1877 - 1925
Michael Amos Cook 1880 - 1941
Elsie Eva Rubina Cook 1892 - 1969
(2) Susannah Mary next married Alfred T DRUITT 1859-1934 in 1898 at Dubbo, New South Wales.